Ski pole length calculator.

The calculator

Enter your height and pick a style. The output is a recommended pole length in cm (poles sell in 5 cm increments) and inches.

If you're between two sizes, go shorter. Most skiers are happier on a 125 than a 130 if they're between the two, short poles you can grow into are easier than long poles you have to fight.

How to size ski poles: the elbow test

How do you size ski poles? The chart above and the calculator both work, but the in-shop test is the same one that's worked for forty years and still gets the right answer:

1. Stand the pole upside down, handle on the floor, basket and tip pointing up.
2. Grip the pole shaft just below the basket. Not above the basket. Not on the tip.
3. Your forearm should be parallel to the floor, elbow at a 90° angle.
4. If your elbow is less than 90° (forearm pointing down toward the floor), the pole is too long.
5. If your elbow is more than 90° (forearm pointing up toward the ceiling), the pole is too short.

Wear ski boots when you do this test if you can. Boots add about 4 cm of stack height, enough to bump you up half a pole size if you're borderline. If you're testing in sneakers, mentally add 4 cm to your standing height before checking the chart.

Pole length chart by height

Static chart for an all-mountain skier in ski boots. Pole sizes round to the nearest 5 cm because that's how poles are sold.

For park or powder, drop one size (5 cm shorter). For racing, ask your coach, race poles are pre-bent and discipline-specific.

Style and discipline

The default chart fits about 80% of skiers. The other 20% adjust for what they're skiing.

All-mountain (the default)

The recommendation. Works for groomers, mixed conditions, the occasional powder day. If you ski one pair of poles for everything, this is what you ski.

Park and freestyle

Drop 5 cm. Park skiers want poles that stay out of the way during spins, switch landings, and rail tricks. Some park skiers ditch poles entirely on dedicated park days. The 5 cm drop is the compromise for skiers who do both park and trail.

Powder and freeride

Drop 5 cm. Two reasons. First, soft snow gives you more pole-plant range, so a shorter pole still reaches. Second, longer poles drag in deep snow and throw your timing off. If you live in the trees, a 125 cm pole when the chart says 130 is the move.

Racing

Different game. Race poles are pre-bent to wrap around your body and clear the gates. Slalom poles are shorter than GS poles. If you race seriously, your coach will dial this in for you. If you're an occasional NASTAR weekender, all-mountain length is fine.

Touring and backcountry

Most backcountry skiers run adjustable poles, a single shaft you can extend for the climb (5-10 cm longer) and shorten for the descent (5 cm shorter than your resort length). Black Diamond, Leki, and Komperdell all make adjustables in the $100-180 range.

Kids' pole sizing

Same elbow test, every season. Kids grow fast, and a pole that fit in October fits wrong by March. Some shops do junior pole rentals as part of season-rental programs, usually included with skis and boots for $50 to $100 added.

If you're buying, the chart works for kids too. A 4'6" eight-year-old gets a 100 cm pole. By 4'10" they're on a 110. A new pair every year or two is normal until growth slows around age 14.

Don't buy used kids' poles unless you can inspect the shaft and grip carefully. Bent shafts are the most common defect and they don't always show until you weight them.

FAQ

How do you size ski poles?

The simplest method is the elbow test: turn the pole upside down with the handle on the floor, grip the shaft just below the basket, and check your forearm. If it sits parallel to the floor with the elbow at 90°, the pole is the right length. Wear ski boots when you do this, they add about 4 cm of stack height. If you can't test in person, use the chart above or the calculator, both work from your standing height.

What size ski pole do I need for my height?

As a default for an all-mountain skier in ski boots: 5'4" / 163 cm uses a 120 cm pole; 5'6"-5'8" / 168-173 cm uses 125 cm; 5'10" / 178 cm uses 130 cm; 6'0" / 183 cm uses 135 cm; 6'2" / 188 cm uses 140 cm. Drop 5 cm for park or powder. Pole sizes round to 5 cm because that's how poles are sold.

Should I size up or down if I'm between two sizes?

Down. A pole that's slightly too short is still useable; a pole that's too long throws off your timing on every plant. If the chart says 130 and you'd be between 125 and 130, take the 125.

Do beginners need shorter poles than the chart says?

No. Beginners are sometimes told to size down because it's easier to plant a short pole, but the elbow test gets it right whether you've been skiing for two days or twenty years. Beginners need the chart length, not a beginner length.

Aluminum, carbon, or composite?

Aluminum for $30-60, heavy, durable, and what most people ski. Carbon for $80-200, lighter, stiffer, and snaps cleanly when overloaded (which can be safer in a fall). Composite for $50-120, somewhere in between, with vibration damping that some skiers love and others can't feel. For a first pair, aluminum.

Do I need adjustable poles?

For resort skiing, no. Fixed-length poles are lighter, simpler, and don't develop the slip-down problem that adjustables eventually do. For backcountry, adjustables are standard, the climb wants longer, the descent wants shorter.

How important are baskets and grips?

Baskets matter most in soft snow, a 100 mm powder basket prevents the tip from punching through deep snow on the plant. Most resort poles ship with 60-70 mm baskets that work fine on groomers. Grips matter on long days; a comfortable foam or cork grip beats a hard plastic grip across an eight-hour day.

How long do poles last?

Indefinitely until you bend or snap one. Aluminum poles bend, carbon poles snap. Both happen in falls more than from wear. Replace baskets and grips as they wear; the shaft itself outlasts most of the rest of your gear.

Do women need different poles than men?

No. Pole length is a function of height, not gender. The "women's-specific" poles you see at retailers are usually unisex shafts with smaller-diameter grips and color schemes. If your hands are smaller, those grips help; otherwise, ignore the marketing.